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New Norris Baseball Clubhouse Set for Saturday Dedication

September 19, 2011

A ceremony formally opening the new $436,000 Norris Baseball Clubhouse and honoring the 13 donors who contributed to the building that will serve as the home of the Angelo State University Rams baseball team is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24.

The new 1,875-square-foot clubhouse was made possible by a lead gift from Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Norris and the contributions of 12 other families and businesses. Those donors are Alexander Construction; Basic Energy Services; Mr. and Mrs. Devin Bates; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Boothe; Mr. and Mrs. Randy Brooks; First Financial Bank; Jeff Hamilton; Mr. and Mrs. Lanny Layman; Lone Star Beef Processors, L.P.; Mr. and Mrs. Alvin New; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pate; and Mr. and Mrs. James Wilson.

ASU Baseball Coach Kevin Brooks said, “We are grateful for the generosity of the Norris family and the 12 other families and businesses. We feel like they provided us the best clubhouse facility in all of NCAA Division II baseball.”

The Saturday dedication ceremony is open to the public at the new field house, located at the northwest vehicle entrance off of Jackson Street to Foster Field. The Norris Baseball Clubhouse will be open for tours after the ceremony. Following the tours, the ASU baseball team will hold its annual alumni game at noon at Foster Field.

Brooks noted the facility has already returned benefits to ASU’s baseball program.

“It was,” Brooks said, “a major advantage for us in the recruiting season and our players have really enjoyed it this fall. It is a great place for our program to call home.”

Construction began last November on the facility north of Foster Field’s left field fence and was completed in the spring. The field house features a locker room complete with oak lockers for the players, new offices for the baseball coaching staff, a players’ lounge and two indoor batting cages, among other features. Additionally, the Norris family also donated funds to purchase a Pro Batter PX2 pitching machine that is a virtual pitching simulator. At the time of the purchase, ASU was the only college in Texas and the only Division II school in the nation to have this sophisticated pitching machine.